Conductor-bar.



l. H. GILLIS.

CONDUCTOR BAR.

APPLlcArloN FILI-:D Aue .6. 1.917.

J. H. GILLIS.

CONDUCTOR BAR.

APPLICAHON FILED, AUG.6.1917.

v Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFruoE.

JULIUS H. GILLIS, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA, ASSIG-NOR T ANACONDA COPPER, MINING COMPANY, OFANACONDA, MONTANA, A. CORPORATION 0F MONTANA CONDUCTOR-BAR.

tor-Bars, of which the following is a specilcation.

The present invention relates toconductor bars for use in the electrolytic process for depositing metals or other substances by electricity, and more particularly to conductor bars for carrying electric current to cells having a large number of electrodes in multiple. l

It Vis the special object of my invention to construct conductor bars in such away as to effect the saving of a considerable amount of material from which conductor bars are usually made, reduce the diiiiculty of cleaning the contact surfaces to a minimum and facilitate the supervision.

lTo carry out the object of my invention in what I considei` the preferred form, I propose to decrease the cross-section of the conductor bars from one portion to another in they same ratio as they current iiowing through the bars decreases, to reduce the contact area to a minimum, and to shape the bars so that they can be conveniently situated at the same side of the cells, preferably adjacent the working aisles.

For a fuller understanding of my invention, I refer tothe appended drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of conductor bar;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3, a section on line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 a section on line 4-4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 a sectional view through a double row of cells, each having the conductor bars belonging to it located at one side,

'Figs 6, 7 and 8 arediagrammatlc vlews of various connections, Fig. 6 showing the arrangement of the cells and bars in Fig. 5, Fig. 7 connections for a single row of cells, andl Fig. 8 a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 5.

Figs. 1 and 2 represent a preferred type of conductor bar 1 interconnecting electrades of opposite sign of two cells. The

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2o, 191s.

Application led August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,705.

length 'of the bar is therefore substantially equal to the combined length of two adja- 1 cent cells. Since the current flowing .through the bar increases. from the eXtreme end toward the center and decreases again from the center toward the other end, I have increased the cross-sectional area of the conductor bar from the ends toward the center and dimensioned/the bar, as is well understood, so that the bar may conduct the current without any undue loss. 2 and 3 are ribs on opposite sides of the center of the bar 1, rib 2 extending along the inner edge and rib 3 along the outer edge of the bar. These edges are substantially parallel to the lmedian longitudinal line of the bar. From the center, the bars are cut substantially diagonally so that the bar has the form of two equal rectangular triangles,

base'to base,.but the hypotenuse being located at opposite sides. At the center there is an offset 4 by which one-half of the bar is raised above the other half. This feature is not a part of the invention, but is merely incident to a general arrangement ofthe cells in which successive cells are placed on successively higher levels and the offset is i equal tothe difference between the respective levels.

When the various bars are in alinement as shown in Fig. 6, the rib 2 of one bar and rib 3 of the adjacent barl run parallel with each other the length of one cell. Then rib 2 which together with rib 3 just mentioned forms a single bar runs parallel to rib 3 of the next bar the ylength of the next cell, and so on.

The ribs 2 and 3 which provide flat contact surfaces 5 and 6, respectively, for supporting the electrodes are of different heights. Ribs 3, which are higher than ribs 2, are located on the outside relatively to the cells and 4ribs 2 on the inside directly adjacent the cells, so that the connector bars 7 on the electrodes of one sign clear ribs 2 and -rest on ribs 3, while the connector bars 8 on the electrodes of opposite sign reston ribs 2. The difference in the height of the ribs is' a matter of judgment and may of course be varied to suit particular requirements. The upper fiat surfaces 5 and 6 are so dimensioned that the area of Contact between the ribs and any of the connector bars 7 and 8 is sulcient t0 carry the currentwithout undue heating. To insure 'goed con-v tact it is only necessary to keep thesey surfaces 5 and 6 clean, and since these surfaces are comparatively small and raised from the body of the conductor bar, it is very easy to clean them and keep them in good condi-- tion.

Fig. 5 shows an arrangement of the con- -ductor bars, such as indicated diagrammaticallyin Fig. 6. The 'set is formed of a double row of cells and the conductor bars belonging to Vone row are disposed at one side of that row andthe conductor bars of the second row are placed at one side of that row andthe disposition'is such that the two sets of conductor bars run along theI outer side of the two rows and are thus readily accessible for inspection.' 'In this ligure, 9 and 10 are adjacent cells in the two rows.

cells, respectively. The conductor barsl are mounted on walls 11 and 14 and' insulated therefrom by insulating layers 15 and. 16. Suitable means, such as angle 'rails 17, 18, 19 and 20, may be employed to laterally support the conductor bars.

Along the top of walls 1.2fand 13 extend bars 21 and 22 of insulating material, such as wood or other suitable material and these bars are of such height that they are flush with the ribs 2. The connector bars 8 `(not shown in this ligure) bridge the cell and are .supported on the lone sidel on rib 2 making electrical contact therewithy and rest on the other side on bars or beams 2.1 and 22, respectively.

Connector bars 7 are supported on the one side on' ribs 3 making electrical contact therewith and rest on the other side on bars 21 and 22, respectively. Fillers 23 and 24 are interposed between connector bars 7 and bars 21 and 2 2 to compensate for the difference in the height of ribs 2 and 3:

The cells may be advantageously covered to keep out the dust and foreign. matter. 25 and 26 represent covers pivoted on hinges 27 and 28. The hinges are fastened to a beam 29 supported on beams 30 and 31, and frames 32 and 33 extend around the top of the cells below the free edge of the covers and above the conductor barsv ,and connector bars for the covers to rest on and to form a closure.

In Fig. 7 is shown a single row of cells and a modified form of conductor 'bars located at both sides of the cells. The conductor bar 50 has a single rib 51 along the inner straight edge 52 interconnecting all anodes of one cell and all cathodes of the next cell.

Fig. 8 shows a similar conductor bar applied to two rows of cells in which each pair of adjacent cells is connected in series.. Between the cells of each pair is placed a conductor 55 of uniform cross-section. Convits surface. having illustrate some ofl the. ways in which the invention can be applied.

yWhile my invention is principally ini tended. for use in connection with electrolytic cells, it is equally applicable to all other uses in which current is collected by -a common conductor from a plurality of frequentlyv detached electrical devices removably connected tothe conductor.

I claimt- 1. Av conductor bar having a uniformly varyin 'f cross-section,.and rib portions along y l. its su aceA having flat contact areas. 11, 12, 13and 14 are the` walls of the two 2.r A conductor bar having a uniformly varying cross-section, and rib portions along flat( and uniform contact areas. v

3. lA conductor 'bar having a uniformly varyin cross-section, and a contact rib along its sur e'e.

4.v A conductor barhaving a uniformly i variable cross-section, and a contact `rib along its surface of uniform cross-section.

5. A conductor bar having a uniformly varyingy cross-section, and a straight contact rib of uniform cross-section along its sur.

face'.

6. A ccnductor bar having a uniformly varyingl rectangular cross-section, and a confv tact rib of a uniform angular cross-section along its surface.`

7. A conductor bar having the shape of a wedge, and a contacting rib along one edge thereof.

ion

, 8. A conductor bai-'having the shape of` two wedges placed base to base.

9. A conductor bar having the shape of a double wedge placed base to base, and rib portions' along its surface.

10. A conductor bar having the shape of a double wedge placed base to base, and rib portions. of uniform cross-section along its surface.,

11. A. tapered conductor bar, and rib portions thereon having iat and uniform contact areas. l y

12. A. conductor bar having substantially the formv of an elongated rhombohedronl 13. A conductor bar having substantially the form of an elongated rhombohedron, and contacting ribs on opposing sides.

14. A. conductor bar having substantially the form of an elongated rhombohedron, and rile portions having flat anduniform contacting areas, said rib portions being disthe form. of an elongated rhombohedron,

15. A conductor bar having substantially and ribs presentingat and uniform contact surfaces, said ribs being disposed along opposing edges of the rhombohedron.

16. The combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars of uniformly varying cross-section disposed at one side of the cell 'in such a manner that the cross-sectional area of the two bars is substantially thesame as the largest cross-sectional area of one bar.

17. The combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars disposed adjacent each other at one side of the cell and oontactin ribs on each of the conductor bars.

18. he combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars disposed adjacent each other at one side of the cell and contacting ribs of different heights one on each of the conductor bars.

19. The combination with an 1 electrolytic cell of two conductor bars disposed at one side of the cell and each of uniformly varying cross-section and contacting ribs on each of the said conductor bars.

20. The combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars disposed at one side of the cell, each of uniformly but oppositely varying cross-section.

l21. The combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars of uniformly but oppositely varying cross-section disposed at one side of the cell in such a manner that one edge of one bai` runs parallel to one edge of the other bar.

22. The combination with an electrolytic cell of two conductor bars of uniformly but oppositely varying cross-section disposed at one side of the cell in such a manner that one edge of oneA bar runs parallel 'to one edge of the. other bar, and a contacting rib on each of said parallel edges.

23. The combination with an ele'ctrolytic cell of two conductor bars of uniformly but opp'ositely varying crossesection disposed at one side of the cell in such a manner that one edge of one bar runs parallel to one edge of the other bar, and a contacting rib on each of said parallel edges, on'e rib higher than the other.

24. The combinationwith a plurality of cells forming a row of a plurality of conductor'bars of uniformly var ing cross-.section disposed in pairs at-one slde of the row.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JULIUs H. GILLIS. 

